Architecture of the crust and lithosphere beneath the Semail Ophiolite from ambient noise tomography and receiver functions: insights on the tectonic evolution of eastern Arabia

The Semail Ophiolite is the world&#8216;s largest and best exposed oceanic lithosphere on land and a primary reference site for studies of creation of oceanic lithosphere, initiation of subduction, geodynamic models of obduction, subduction and exhumation of continental rocks during obduction. Five decades of geological mapping, structural, petrological and geochronological research provide a robust understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the shallow continental crust in northern Oman and how the late Cretaceous obduction process largely shaped the present-day landscape. Yet, prior to obduction, other first-order tectonic processes have left their imprint in the lithosphere, in particular the Neoproterozoic accretion of Arabia and Permian breakup of Pangea. Due to the scarcity of deep structure imaging below the ophiolite, the presence and significance of inherited structures for the obduction process remain unclear.We discuss a new 3-D anisotropic shear wave velocity model of the crust below northern Oman derived from ambient noise tomography and Receiver Function analysis which allows to resolve some key unknowns in geodynamics of eastern Arabia: (1) Several NE-trending structural boundaries in the middle and lower crust are attributed to the Pan-African orogeny and align with first-order lateral changes in surface geology and topography. (2) The well-known Semail Gap Fault Zone is an upper crustal feature whereas two other deep crustal faults are newly identified. (3) Permian rifting occurred on both eastern and northern margins but large-scale mafic intrusions and/or underplating occurred only in the east. (4) While obduction is inherently lithospheric by nature, its effects are mostly observed at shallow crustal depths, and lateral variations in its geometry and dynamics can be explained by effects on pre-existing Pan-African and Permian structures. (5) Continental subduction and exhumation during late Cretaceous obduction may be the cause for crustal thickening below today&#8216;s topography. (6) Thinning of the continental lithosphere below northern Oman in late Eocene times &#8211; possibly related to thermal effects of the incipient Afar mantle plume - provides a plausible mechanism for the broad emergence of the Oman Mountains and in particular the Jabal Akhdar Dome. Uplift might thus be unrelated to compressional tectonics during Arabia-Eurasia convergence as previously believed.

Download Full-text

First step towards an integrated geophysical-geological model of the W-Alps: A new Vs model from transdimensional ambient-noise tomography

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-3197 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Nouibat ◽

Laurent Stehly ◽

Anne Paul ◽

Romain Brossier ◽

Thomas Bodin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Group Velocity ◽

Shear Wave ◽

Wave Velocity ◽

Shear Wave Velocity ◽

Ambient Noise ◽

Receiver Functions ◽

Time Inversion ◽

Geological Model ◽

Ambient Noise Tomography ◽

Low Velocity

We have successfully derived a new 3-D high resolution shear wave velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle of a large part of W-Europe from transdimensional ambient-noise tomography. This model is intended to contribute to the development of the first 3-D crustal-scale integrated geophysical-geological model of the W-Alps to deepen understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics. We used an exceptional dataset of 4 years of vertical-component, daily seismic noise records (2015 - 2019) of more than 950 permanent broadband seismic stations located in and around the Greater Alpine region, complemented by 490 temporary stations from the AlpArray sea-land seismic network and 110 stations from Cifalps dense deployments.We firstly performed a 2-D data-driven transdimensional travel time inversion for group velocity maps from 4 to 150 s (Bodin & Sambridge, 2009). The data noise level was treated as a parameter of the inversion problem, and determined within a Hierarchical Bayes method. We used Fast Marching Eikonal solver (Rawlinson & Sambridge, 2005) jointly with the reversible jump algorithm to update raypath geometry during inversion. In the inversion of group velocity maps for shear-wave velocity, we set up a new formulation of the approach proposed by Lu et al (2018) by including group velocity uncertainties. Posterior probability distributions on Vs and interfaces were estimated by exploring a set of 130 millions synthetic 4-layer 1-D Vs models that allow for low-velocity zones. The obtained probabilistic model was refined using a linearized inversion. For the ocean-bottom seismometers of the Ligurian-Provencal basin, we applied a specific processing to clean daily noise signals from instrumental and oceanic noises (Crawford & Webb, 2000) and adapted the inversion for Vs to include the water column.Our Vs model evidences strong variations of the crustal structure along strike, particulary in the subduction complex. The European crust includes lower crustal low-velocity zones and a Moho jump of ~8-12 km beneath the W-boundary of the external crystalline massifs. We observe a deep LVZ structure (50 - 80 km) in the prolongation of the European continental subduction beneath the Ivrea body. The striking fit between the receiver functions ccp migrated section across the Cifalps profile and this new Vs model validate its reliability.

Download Full-text

Chapter 5 Tectonic evolution of the Oman Mountains

Geological Society London Memoirs ◽

10.1144/m54.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 67-103

Author(s):

Andreas Scharf ◽

Frank Mattern ◽

Mohammed Al-Wardi ◽

Gianluca Frijia ◽

Daniel Moraetis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Subduction Zone ◽

Late Cretaceous ◽

Tectonic Evolution ◽

Oceanic Lithosphere ◽

Passive Margin ◽

Arabian Plate ◽

Continental Lithosphere ◽

Oman Mountains ◽

Semail Ophiolite ◽

Arabian Platform

AbstractThe tectonic evolution of the Oman Mountains as of the Neoproterozoic begins with a major extensional event, the Neoproterozoic Abu Mahara rifting. It was followed by the compressional Nabitah event, still during the Neoproterozoic, in Oman but possibly not in the study area. During the earliest Cambrian, the Jabal Akhdar area was affected by the Cadomian Orogeny, marked by NE--SW shortening. It is unclear, whether the Saih Hatat area was exposed to the Cadomian deformation, too. Still during the lower Cambrian, the Angudan Orogeny followed, characterized by NW--SE shortening. An episode of rifting affected the Saih Hatat area during the mid-Ordovician. During the mid-Carboniferous, both dome areas were deformed by tilting and large-scale open folding in the course of the ‘Hercynian’ event. As a consequence, a major unconformity formed. As another Late Paleozoic event, the Permian break-up of Pangaea and subsequent formation of the Hawasina ocean basin, are recorded in the Southeastern Oman Mountains. As a result, a passive margin formed which existed until the mid-Cretaceous, characterized by deposition of mostly shelfal carbonates. This interval of general tectonic quiescence was interrupted during the early Jurassic by uplift and tilting of the Arabian Platform. The platform collapsed during the late Cretaceous, related to the arrival of the obducted allochthonous nappes including the Semail Ophiolite, transforming the passive margin to an active margin.The Semail Ophiolite formed most likely above a subduction zone within the Neo-Tethys Ocean during the Cenomanian while parts of the Arabian Plate were subducted to the NE. Formation of oceanic lithosphere and SW-thrusting was broadly coeval, resulting in ophiolite obduction onto the Hawasina Basin. The Semail Ophiolite and the Hawasina rocks combined were thrust further onto the Arabian Plate. Their load created a foreland basin and forebulge within the Arabian Platform. Once the continental lithosphere of the Arabian Platform was forced into the subduction zone, a tear between the dense oceanic lithosphere and the buoyant continental lithosphere developed. This led to rapid uplift and exhumation of subducted continental lithosphere of the Saih Hatat area, while obduction was still going on, causing in multiple and intense folding/thrusting within the eastern Saih Hatat Dome. Exhumation of the Saih Hatat Dome was massive. The emplacement of the ophiolite was completed during the Campanian/Maastrichtian. For completeness, we also present alternative models for the developmental history of the Semail Ophiolite.Immediately after emplacement, the Arabian lithosphere underwent intense top-to-the-NE extensional shearing. Most of the Saih Hatat Dome was exhumed during the latest Cretaceous to Early Eocene, associated with major extensional shearing at its flanks. Further convergence during the late Eocene to Miocene resulted in exhumation of the Jabal Akhdar Dome and some gentle exhumation of the Saih Hatat Dome, shaping the present-day Southeastern Oman Mountains. In the coastal area, east and SE of the Saih Hatat Dome, some late Cretaceous to present-day uplift is evident by, e.g., uplifted marine terraces. The entire Oman Mountains are uplifting today, which is evident by the massive wadi incision into various rock units, including wadi deposits which may form overhangs.

Download Full-text

Transversely isotropic lower crust of Variscan central Europe imaged by ambient noise tomography of the Bohemian Massif

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-12-1051-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1051-1074

Author(s):

Jiří Kvapil ◽

Jaroslava Plomerová ◽

Hana Kampfová Exnerová ◽

Vladislav Babuška ◽

György Hetényi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bohemian Massif ◽

Lower Crust ◽

Ambient Noise ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Crustal Thickening ◽

Scale Model ◽

Significant Feature ◽

Ambient Noise Tomography ◽

North East ◽

The North

Abstract. The recent development of ambient noise tomography, in combination with the increasing number of permanent seismic stations and dense networks of temporary stations operated during passive seismic experiments, provides a unique opportunity to build the first high-resolution 3-D shear wave velocity (vS) model of the entire crust of the Bohemian Massif (BM). This paper provides a regional-scale model of velocity distribution in the BM crust. The velocity model with a cell size of 22 km is built using a conventional two-step inversion approach from Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves measured at more than 400 stations. The shear velocities within the upper crust of the BM are ∼0.2 km s−1 higher than those in its surroundings. The highest crustal velocities appear in its southern part, the Moldanubian unit. The Cadomian part of the region has a thinner crust, whereas the crust assembled, or tectonically transformed in the Variscan period, is thicker. The sharp Moho discontinuity preserves traces of its dynamic development expressed in remnants of Variscan subductions imprinted in bands of crustal thickening. A significant feature of the presented model is the velocity-drop interface (VDI) modelled in the lower part of the crust. We explain this feature by the anisotropic fabric of the lower crust, which is characterised as vertical transverse isotropy with the low velocity being the symmetry axis. The VDI is often interrupted around the boundaries of the crustal units, usually above locally increased velocities in the lowermost crust. Due to the north-west–south-east shortening of the crust and the late-Variscan strike-slip movements along the north-east–south-west oriented sutures preserved in the BM lithosphere, the anisotropic fabric of the lower crust was partly or fully erased along the boundaries of original microplates. These weakened zones accompanied by a velocity increase above the Moho (which indicate an emplacement of mantle rocks into the lower crust) can represent channels through which portions of subducted and later molten rocks have percolated upwards providing magma to subsequently form granitoid plutons.

Download Full-text

Mountain building at northeastern boundary of Tibetan Plateau and craton reworking at Ordos block from joint inversion of ambient noise tomography and receiver functions

Earth and Planetary Science Letters ◽

10.1016/j.epsl.2017.01.026 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 463 ◽

pp. 232-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Zhen Guo ◽

Yongshun John Chen

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Ambient Noise ◽

Joint Inversion ◽

Receiver Functions ◽

Ambient Noise Tomography ◽

Mountain Building ◽

Ordos Block

Download Full-text

Late Cretaceous magmatism in the NW Lhasa Terrane, southern Tibet: Implications for crustal thickening and initial surface uplift

Geological Society of America Bulletin ◽

10.1130/b31915.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 132 (1-2) ◽

pp. 334-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ming Lei ◽

Jian-Lin Chen ◽

Ji-Feng Xu ◽

Yun-Chuan Zeng ◽

Qiu-Wei Xiong

Keyword(s):

Late Cretaceous ◽

Oceanic Lithosphere ◽

Crustal Thickening ◽

Geochemical Data ◽

Initial Surface ◽

Southern Tibet ◽

Late Mesozoic ◽

Lhasa Terrane ◽

Surface Uplift ◽

Cretaceous Magmatism

Abstract Crustal thickening and uplift of southern Tibet have been widely associated with India-Asia continental collision during the Cenozoic. However, recent studies indicated that the crust of the northwestern (NW) Lhasa Terrane was thickened during the late Mesozoic. Here we report geochronological and geochemical data for the Gaerqiong diorite porphyries (GPs) and Xiongma plutons (XPs) in the NW Lhasa terrane, southern Tibet. Zircon U-Pb dating suggests that these intrusive rocks were generated at ca. 85 and ca. 88 Ma, respectively. The GPs are characterized by high MgO, Cr, and Ni contents, and they have adakitic affinities. These geochemical features, combined with their depleted εNd(t) (+1.7 to +2.0), 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.705103–0.705259), and zircon εHf(t) (+5.2 to +10.2) isotopic compositions, indicate that the GPs were produced by partial melting of the delaminated juvenile continental crust. In contrast, the XPs are composed of host granites and mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs). The MMEs have low SiO2 and high MgO contents, and low εHf(t) (–14.0 to –5.8) values, indicating that their parental magmas were derived from an enriched mantle. The host granites have high SiO2 and low MgO contents, and variable εNd(t) (–7.4 to –6.3) and zircon εHf(t) (–11 to –4.1) values. These observations, combined with the presence of MMEs in the Xiongma granites, suggest that the host granites were the result of mixing of crust- and mantle-derived magmas. Detailed study of these two plutons, combined with the previous researches, suggests that Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma) magmatism in the NW Lhasa Terrane occurred in a post-collisional extensional setting related to delamination of the regionally thickened lithosphere after collision of the Lhasa-Qiangtang Terranes. We propose that the crust of the NW Lhasa Terrane reached a maximum thickness (average of >50 km) before the Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma). This crustal thickening was caused by underplating of mafic magmas during slab roll-back and break-off of the southward-subducting Bangong-Nujiang oceanic lithosphere and subsequent tectonic thrusting during Qiangtang-Lhasa Terrane collision, respectively. Given that crustal thickening generally results in elevated terrain, the regional uplift (driven by isostasy due to crustal thickening) probably commenced before the Late Cretaceous (ca. 90 Ma).

Download Full-text

Crustal structure of the Carpathian Orogen in Romania from receiver functions and ambient noise tomography: how craton collision, subduction and detachment affect the crust

Geophysical Journal International ◽

10.1093/gji/ggz140 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 218 (1) ◽

pp. 163-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Laura Petrescu ◽

Graham Stuart ◽

Dragos Tataru ◽

Bogdan Grecu

Keyword(s):

Crustal Structure ◽

Ambient Noise ◽

Receiver Functions ◽

Ambient Noise Tomography

Download Full-text

Shear-Wave Velocity Model of the Bohemian Massif Crust from Ambient Noise Tomography

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-7916 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jiří Kvapil ◽

Jaroslava Plomerová ◽

Vladislav Babuška ◽

Hana Kampfová Exnerová ◽

Luděk Vecsey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Shear Wave ◽

Wave Velocity ◽

Shear Wave Velocity ◽

Seismic Noise ◽

Ambient Noise ◽

Velocity Model ◽

Receiver Functions ◽

P Wave ◽

Ambient Noise Tomography ◽

Moldanubian Unit

The current knowledge of the structure of the Bohemian Massif (BM) crust is mostly based on interpretation of refraction and reflection seismic experiments performed along 2D profiles. The recent development of ambient noise tomography, in combination with dense networks of permanent seismic stations and arrays of passive seismic experiments, provides unique opportunity to build the high-resolution 3D velocity model of the BM crust from long sequences of ambient seismic noise data.The new 3D shear-wave velocity model is built from surface-wave group-velocity dispersion measurements derived from ambient seismic noise cross-correlations by conventional two-step inversion approach. First, the 2D fast marching travel time tomography is applied to regularise velocity dispersions. Second, the stochastic inversion is applied to compute 1D shear-wave velocity profiles beneath each location of the processing grid.We processed continuous waveform data from 404 seismic stations (permanent and temporary stations of passive experiments BOHEMA I-IV, PASSEQ, EGER RIFT, ALPARRAY-EASI and ALPARRAY-AASN) in a broader region of the BM (in an area of 46-540 N 7-210 E). The overlapping period of each possible station-pair and cross-correlation quality review resulted in more than 21,000 dispersion curves, which further served as an input for surface-wave inversion at high-density grid with the cell size of 22 km. We present the new high-resolution 3D shear-wave velocity model of the BM crust and uppermost mantle with preliminary tectonic interpretations. We compare this model with a compiled P-wave velocity model from the 2D seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection experiments and with the crustal thickness (Moho depth) extracted from P-wave receiver functions (see Kampfov&#225; Exnerov&#225; et al., EGU2020_SM4.3). 1D velocity profiles resulting from the stochastic inversions exhibit regional variations, which are characteristic for individual units of the BM. Velocities within the upper crust of the BM are ~0.2 km/s higher than those in its surroundings. The highest crustal velocities occur in its southern part (Moldanubian unit). The velocity model confirms, in accord with results from receiver functions and other seismic studies, a relatively thin crust in the Saxothuringian unit, whilst thickness of the Moldanubian crust is at least 36 km in its central and southern parts. The most distinct interface with a velocity inversion at the depth of about 20 to 25 km occurs in the Moldanubian unit. The velocity decrease in the lower crust reflects probably its transversely isotropic structure.

Download Full-text

Geological and seismic evidence for the tectonic volution of the NE Oman continental margin and Gulf of Oman

Geosphere ◽

10.1130/ges02376.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Bruce Levell ◽

Michael Searle ◽

Adrian White ◽

Lauren Kedar ◽

Henk Droste ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Continental Margin ◽

Late Cretaceous ◽

Deep Water ◽

Large Scale ◽

Accretionary Prism ◽

Oceanic Lithosphere ◽

Seismic Reflection Data ◽

Gulf Of Oman ◽

Semail Ophiolite

Late Cretaceous obduction of the Semail ophiolite and underlying thrust sheets of Neo-Tethyan oceanic sediments onto the submerged continental margin of Oman involved thin-skinned SW-vergent thrusting above a thick Guadalupian–Cenomanian shelf-carbonate sequence. A flexural foreland basin (Muti and Aruma Basin) developed due to the thrust loading. Newly available seismic reflection data, tied to wells in the Gulf of Oman, suggest indirectly that the trailing edge of the Semail Ophiolite is not rooted in the Gulf of Oman crust but is truncated by an ENE-dipping extensional fault parallel to the coastline. This fault is inferred to separate the Semail ophiolite to the SW from in situ oceanic Gulf of Oman crust to the NE. It forms the basin margin to a “hinterland” basin formed atop the Gulf of Oman crust, in which 5 km of Late Cretaceous deep-water mudstones accumulated together with 4 km of Miocene and younger deep-water mudstones and sandstones. Syndepositional folding included Paleocene–Eocene folds on N-S axes, and Paleocene to Oligocene growth faults with roll-over anticlines, along the basin flank. Pliocene compression formed, or tightened, box folds whose axes parallel the modern coast with local south-vergent thrusts and reversal of the growth faults. This Pliocene compression resulted in large-scale buckling of the Cenozoic section, truncated above by an intra-Pliocene unconformity. A spectacular 60-km-long, Eocene(?) to Recent, low-angle, extensional, gravitational fault, down-throws the upper basin fill to the north. The inferred basement of the hinterland basin is in situ Late Cretaceous oceanic lithosphere that is subducting northwards beneath the Makran accretionary prism.

Download Full-text